🍄 The Night I Deserved My 6-Year-Old Telling Me to “F*** Off”
Aug 24, 2025
You think you’ve had parenting lows?
Try serving your kid stuffed portobello mushrooms and ending the night being told to “f*** off”—by a six-year-old.
Yes, it happened. And honestly? I deserved it.
The Mushroom Standoff
One night I decided to get fancy in the kitchen. I stuffed portobello mushrooms with fresh ricotta, sausage, mozzarella, and Italian spices. A work of art, if I do say so myself.
I placed the plates on the table, proud. My son took one look and said:
“I HATE mushrooms!”
Cue the horns locking.
“You haven’t even tried a bite, you can’t hate something you haven’t tried,” I insisted.
“Yes, I can. I hate them.”
Back and forth we went. Every phrase I’d ever heard as a child came tumbling out of my mouth: “Never say hate.” “At least try one bite.” “I’m the mom—you have to listen.”
Inside, I knew I was just reenacting my parents’ voices. But instead of stopping, I doubled down. My husband backed out of the crossfire. My other son sat there wide-eyed like he was watching a UFC fight.
Finally, my son took the bite. His face said it all: pure disgust. And then came the explosion.
“F*** you, Mom. F*** you!”
My husband, without missing a beat:
“You deserved that one.”
And he was right.
The Silver Linings
So how do I go from that moment to calling myself a family strategist? Because there are lessons in the mess:
1. Generational Patterns Are Real
In that instant, I could literally hear my grandfather, my mom, my dad coming out of my mouth. Parenting often drags the past right to our dinner table. That’s how patterns get passed down—unless we catch them.
2. Repair After the Break Matters More Than Perfection
I admitted I was wrong. I told him I’d never pull that stunt again, and we pinky promised on it. I kept my word. That moment of humility built trust.
3. The Story Became a Bond
Twenty years later, we still laugh about “The Mushroom Night.” The sting is gone. The memory is a family joke, not a scar.
The Real Point
Parents mess up. We all do. The damage doesn’t come from the mistake—it comes from the refusal to admit it.
When your kids see you own your errors, repair the connection, and choose a better path, you teach them how to do the same in their lives.
And trust me, your kids don’t need you to be perfect. They need you to be real, resilient, and willing to grow right alongside them.
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